Wrench for removing screw tops from jars



Aug- 9, 1949.- w. w. EDLUND 2,478,471

WRENCH FOR REMOVING SCREW TOPS FROM JARS Filed June 2l, 1946 W l' /0 I /f f f 4 2 A 'f6 13 V I .9 f5

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' .BY 0% Qi? I l 6644414/ J7 @f r Patented Aug. 9, 1949 Walter W. Edlund, Buriigmn, vt. VApplication June 21, 19.46, Serial No; $78,191

1 invention relatesto screwtop removers fgr jars'tpttlesetc. j V

It Iis 'an `.object 'of thisfini'uention to provide a L{I jlovel .device having relatively :rdnovable rjaws slidk f al'ilyZ lropelled toward eachiothherloy spring means mounted 'pn said devie. i Y f It is a further objectof this inventionr 'to provide an improvement on device disclosed in Patent No. 1,894,556 granted January 17, 1933 to Henry J. Edlund. I have discovered that means should be provided whereby in this prior structure the clamping jaws are caused to automatically grip the closure initially and thereby automatically retain it on the screw top.

It is an object of this invention to prevent accidental displacement of my improved device from its initial application to a closure as well as assist in the function of gripping the closure while it is being unscrewed.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an automatic means to maintain the sliding jaw members with their jaws in their closest approach to each other when not in use and thereby holding the parts in compact position which prevents their rattling thus rendering the instrument more silent and preventing undue wear thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be revealed in the detailed description of the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this specil- L cation.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of my improved device showing it as applied to a jar closure.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken centrally thereof in a vertical plane.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of my device as seen when looking directly at the bottom thereof when in a partly'open condition.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of one of the sliding jaw members including its jaw when looking directly at the bottom thereof.

The drawings are merely illustrative of a preferred form of my improvement and are not to be construed as definitive of my improved invention except as claimed herein.

The reference characters in both the Ydrawings and the specication merely identify the particular parts and portions shown and described.

In my screw top remover forrjars the body I is provided with longitudinal channel means 2 and 2 having their open sides facing each other. This channel means constitutes parallel guides for reciprocally mounted U-shaped jaw members `the body I.

il @as t The :less .the e are reeeived and guided by the channel means 2 and.w2' (pige .les and .one les @We 0h are respectively .Provided with gear teth' I harid .ii d nirig rachs terrasses in @posed Parallel-.telai site!! '.A einiger? interesse@ bet racks and Ainterrrieshe's with said rack teeth.

The pinion 9 is fixed on the lower end kof an upright shaft I0 which is suitably journaled in The upper end of the shaft I0 has iixed thereon a transverselyextending handle II. The latter is provided with a recess receiving the upper end of the shaft I0 and is secured thereon by a pin or rivet I2 passing through both said handle and said shaft.

Each U-shaped member is provided with a depending jaw I3 or I4 adapted to engage a closure I5 which may be interposed between said jaws.

In order to urge the jaws automatically toward each other I have shown, in my preferred form, a helical spring I6 having its upper end anchored in the upper portion of the shaft I0 and its lower end anchored in the body I, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The spring I6 is mounted and anchored under tension so that the coils of the helix are under a clockwise tension at all times.

-When it is desired to set the wrench in opera.- tive position the handle II is grasped by the ners of one hand and, if the screw cap closure is not overly large, the body I may be rotated by pressure lof the thumb in a counter-clockwise direction to open the jaws sufliciently to receive the cap. Release of the thumb causes the body to rotate in the opposite direction under the inuence of the spring so that the jaws automatically grip the edges of the jar closure. VIn instances where the closures are comparatively large in diameter the handle may be gripped in the fingers of one hand and the body rotated to the limit of its movement by the other hand where it will be held by engagement therewith of the thumb of the hand which is grasping the handle. Then upon placement of the body over the jar cap release of the thumb permits the jaws to be closed by spring pressure.

It will be seen from the above that the engagement of the jaws is automatic and the provision of the spring obviates the necessity of holding the body I stationary with one hand while the handle II is rotated by the other to cause the jaws to grip the cap. This is an important feature of operation in that many jar caps have a smooth periphery and even if these are roughened slightly it is necessary before a 3 cap can be loosened that the body be held until rotationof the handle H is sufficiently powerful to cause the jaws of the wrench to bite into opposite sides of the cap. In accomplishing this initial grasp of the jaws the spring I6 is a substantial aid in facilitating the removal of jar caps. In order to unscrew the closure the handle H and shaft I0 must by force be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. It will be noted that the greater the counter-clockwise torque of the handle, shaft and pinion 9 the greater will be the grip of the jaws on the interposed closure.

Not only does the spring maintain my device i on the closure to prevent accidental displacement, but it also aids in producing the counterclockwise torque.

Of course, the receptacle having the screw cap or closure which is to be removed, must be held against rotation by some means such as a suit- ,V able clamp (not shown) or it may be held against rotation by the user or an assistant who may be available.

Having fully disclosed my improved invention what I claim is:

, The combination with a hand wrench for i manually removing screw tops from jars comprising a supporting body carrying a rack and pinion mechanism provided with gripping jaws and a shaft xed to the pinion and journaled on the body and a hand grasping handle xed to the shaft, of a coil spring surrounding the shaft and anchored at its ends to the bodyV and shaft, said spring being under initial tension to no1'- mally effect rotation of the body in one direction on the shaft as vthe wrench is held by the handle in the hand of the operator and also serving to move the jaws toward each other when the body has been rotated in the opposite direction and subsequently released while the handle is so held.

WALTER W. EDLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

